Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is thrilled to have outside linebacker Nick Herbig signed long-term.
On Tuesday, Herbig and the Steelers agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension that includes $42 million in guaranteed money. That contract will add onto the end of his $3.674 million in salary that he is still owed in 2026, the final year of his rookie contract.
The Steelers have three elite edge rushers in Herbig, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. All three have received hefty paydays, too.
“I think the most important thing is, when you look at the business side of this, you pay players that obviously you feel deserve it,” McCarthy said Wednesday at the second minicamp practice. “So, you can never have enough good football players, especially at the outside linebacker or the linebacker position. They’re all playmakers.
“So I am thrilled to death that we have them all.”
McCarthy believes he has one of the best edge rusher trios in the NFL.
“It’s a premier position in the National Football League, and we feel we have one of the premier groups,” McCarthy said.
“You gotta find ways to play everybody. This is not an 11-man operation.”
McCarthy said the staff has been planning on innovative schemes involving Herbig for months.
“You don’t draw up schemes as the season gets going. These are things we’ve been working on since January. We’re excited to get Nick done. He’s a part of some of the new things we’re doing moving forward and so forth.”
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Herbig is now believed to be the first non-quarterback to surpass $100 million without ever starting an entire season in his NFL career.
Herbig, 24, has displayed exactly why he demanded such a payday over the past three years, racking up 79 tackles, 16 sacks, nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three passes defensed and one interception all while working in a rotation with fellow outside linebackers Watt and Highsmith.
Alan Saunders and Brenden Howe provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike McCarthy Weighs in on Massive Nick Herbig Deal
